Dressed
by
Bill
FASHION
ON THE MONEY
History Week 2012
8–16 September
MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIAN CURRENCY NOTES
Dressed
by
I
Bill
n 1966 Australia’s decimal currency replaced the use of
pounds, shillings and pence. Renewed national spirit was
associated with this change, and members of the public
nominated terms including the Oz, the Roo and the Dinkum
for the unit of currency now known as the dollar. Areas of
achievement in Australia’s history were represented by the
portraits of individuals on the new currency – a practice that
continues with our present banknotes.
History Week 2012 focuses on the history of dress, affording
us the opportunity to review individuals who feature on our
banknotes, and to discover characteristics of their clothes.
The character of ‘Dollar Bill’ instructed us in the new system
of decimal currency in 1966; he now guides us on a tour of
select historical figures, and reveals the changing styles of their
dress during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Come with
Dollar Bill on his tour of the
Currency Collection
GEORGIAN ERA
the Pastoralist
John Macar thur
John Macarthur (1767–1834) is portrayed in the first series
of decimal banknotes with a merino sheep to represent
his contribution to the Australian wool industry. In 1801
Macarthur was ordered from the colony of New South
Wales to await court martial in England, following his
duel with the Lieutenant Governor, Colonel Paterson.
He turned the trip to his advantage by taking samples of
fleece from his flocks, which impressed British clothiers
with their superior quality.
The oil portrait of John Macarthur reflects the customary
attire of gentlemen during the late 18th and early
19th centuries, which included a frock or tail coat with
a loosely tied neckcloth. These were combined with
a waistcoat which was sometimes of striking colour,
such as Macarthur’s yellow fabric. By the 19th century,
trousers increasingly replaced breeches, and wigs were
abandoned for natural hair. The style of Macarthur’s hair
and side-whiskers is associated with gentlemen of the
Regency period, who usually kept their carefully tousled
hair in check with pomade.
John Macarthur by an unknown artist, oil on canvas, c. 1850s?, Dixson Galleries, State Library of New South Wales
(detail reversed). This portrait was painted from a miniature portrait made during his life.
GEORGIAN ERA
the Businesswoman
Mar y Reib ey
Mary Reibey (1777–1855) was transported to the colony
of New South Wales in 1792, having been found guilty
of stealing a horse. On her arrival she was assigned as a
nursemaid. She married Thomas Reibey two years later
and, following his early death, continued his trading
business with considerable success.
Mary Reibey’s image on the current $20 banknote is based
on a miniature portrait, painted in watercolour on ivory.
Held by the State Library of New South Wales, the portrait
has been dated to the mid 1830s owing to her costume.
Mary Reibey wears a black dress, which contrasts with
her cream shawl, and a muslin cap trimmed with delicate
embroidery and blue ribbons. The cap was intended
only for indoor use and her appearance suggests a
prosperous woman, at home with her social standing.
In fact, throughout her life she remained sensitive to her
convict past.
Mary Reibey by an unknown artist, watercolour on ivory miniature, c. 1835,
Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales.
VICTORIAN ERA
the Social Reformer
Caroline Chisholm
Caroline Chisholm (1808–1877) was a social reformer
and philanthropist whose portrait appears on the
$5 banknote in the first series of decimal currency.
She promoted immigration to Australia with publications
including Comfort for the Poor! Meat Three Times a Day!!
Voluntary Information from the People of New South Wales
(1847). Aspects of Caroline Chisholm’s life influenced
the character of Mrs Jellyby in Charles Dickens’ novel,
Bleak House (1852–1853).
The clothes worn by Caroline Chisholm in her portrait
by Angelo Collen Hayter convey the sense of modesty
and respectability often associated with day attire of
the Victorian period, with the dark tones of her silk
dress, shawl and cap being relieved only by the white
lace cuffs and collar. During the long reign of Queen
Victoria (1837–1901), fashion underwent a number of
changes. Generally, women’s dresses became larger
and more elaborate than the light, simple garments of
the 19th century’s first decades. Layers of petticoats or
hooped undergarments ribbed in metal supported the
wide shape of the dress.
Caroline Chisholm by Angelo Collen Hayter, oil on canvas, 1852, Mitchell Library,
State Library of New South Wales (detail reversed).
VICTORIAN ERA
the Politician
Sir Henr y Parkes
The politician Henry Parkes (1815–1896) was a supporter
of the unification or Federation of the Australian colonies
into a Commonwealth, believing that the country’s
colonies were bound together by ‘the crimson thread of
kinship’, as he phrased it. On the occasion of Federation’s
centenary in 2001, his contribution was marked on a
commemorative $5 banknote.
As seen in the photograph of Henry Parkes, long frock
coats were popular for gentlemen during the Victorian
period. Parkes wears his coat open over a waistcoat, with
a watch held by a chain. A top hat would have completed
his ensemble. Facial hair for men was common during
the Victorian era, in combinations of mutton-chop
whiskers, moustaches and beards. Macassar oil was
often applied to men’s hair, which necessitated the
introduction of protective cloths on the backs of chairs,
known as antimacassars.
Photograph of Sir Henry Parkes on a garden bench, albumen print, c. 1890, National Library of Australia.
EDWARDIAN ERA
the Opera Singer
Dame Nellie Melba
The Australian soprano Dame Nellie Melba (1861–1931)
is featured on the current $100 banknote. She became a
leading opera singer in Britain and America, and made a
number of popular tours of Australia. Born in Richmond,
Victoria, as Helen ‘Nellie’ Porter Mitchell, she adopted the
name Melba to honour her hometown of Melbourne.
During the Edwardian period in England and France’s
Belle Époque (beautiful era), there was renewed
appreciation of mature women such as Nellie Melba,
and the actresses Sarah Bernhardt (1844–1923) and
Lillie Langtry (1853–1929). The hourglass silhouette was
emphasised by corsets and bodices, as seen in the
photograph of Melba by the Australian photographer,
Henry Walter Barnett. The period also saw the
development of haute couture or high fashion, and Melba
sought designs for her dresses from Charles Frederick
Worth, considered to be the father of haute couture.
Nellie Melba by Henry Walter (‘H. Walter’) Barnett, half-plate glass negative, 1902,
© National Portrait Gallery, London (NPG x76278).
EARLY 20TH CENTURY
the Writer
Henr y L awson
Henry Lawson (1867–1922) contributed to a sense of
national identity through his poetry and short stories,
including ‘The Union Buries its Dead’, ‘The Drover’s Wife’
and ‘A Child in the Dark, and a Foreign Father’. His portrait
appears on the $10 banknote of the first series of decimal
currency – a fact that may have amused him as he
suffered from debt during his life.
In William Johnson’s photograph of Lawson, he wears a
lounge suit and holds his felt hat and walking stick. Men’s
clothes became more relaxed in the first decades of the
20th century, with morning suits and top hats being
reserved for formal occasions. The lounge suit in tones of
grey, brown or navy blue was preferred as a standard form
of dress for men, and it has continued in various forms
for business attire to the present day. As demonstrated
in the photograph, men’s hair was worn shorter in the
early 20th century than their Victorian predecessors.
More often men were clean-shaven, although young men
might favour moustaches, while older ones might wear
well-trimmed beards.
Henry Lawson by William Johnson, gelatin silver photograph, 1915, Mitchell Library,
State Library of New South Wales.
© Reserve Bank of Australia 2012